Percept ICE, the Special Projects, Events and Conventions Domain Company of Percept Limited, bagged the prestigious mandate of managing and executing the 36th Asian Racing Conference (ARC). The 5 day business and glamorous event was held from 24th January 2016 to 28th January 2016 at the Royal Western Indian Turf Club (RWITC), Mumbai.
Hosted in India after a long span of 20 years, the Asian Racing Conference saw a participation of over 650 delegates from around the globe including Australia, Bahrain, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait, Macau, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mongolia, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, France, South Africa, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Kazakhstan and the UAE.
The event was holistically conceptualized, managed and produced by Percept ICE. Tasks included incubating the website for ARC (www.arcindia2016.com), delegate registrations and accreditations, hospitality services including airport transfers and special allowances facilitated to the Governors & Dignitaries of 25 countries, conference management inclusive of set, décor, speakers and entertainment, security, as also promoting and marketing the event across various platforms and mediums.
Percept ICE also handled the City Tour Programs for opting delegates which covered popular tourist spots including Babulnath Mandir, Antilia Haji Ali Dargah, Victoria Terminus, Mumbai University, The Rajabhai Clock Tower, The Oval Maidan, caves at Elephanta island, and street shopping.
The first day of the event kick-started with ARF Race Day held on 24th January 2016. Percept ICE offered exceptional service and hospitality to all the delegates present. They further also excelled in handling the elaborated logistics for the colossal event.
Day 2 of the Asian Racing Conference commenced with various Bureau Meetings at Trident, followed by a grand Opening Ceremony at National Sports Club of India (NSCI). Princess Zahra Aga Khan was the Guest of Honour and the occasion was also graced by the honourable Governor of Maharashtra Shri Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao. The opening ceremony started with the traditional act of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ which saw an array of performers enacting a classical Indian dance. Children from the Dil Khush Special School performed the Indian National Anthem and were joined by the Governor of Maharashtra, Princess Zahra Aga Khan, Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla, Chairman, ARC and Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chairman, Asian Racing Federation. The traditional lamp was lit to commence the evening. Bollywood actresses Jacqueline Fernandez performed on stage to popular Bollywood songs that offered the international delegates a glimpse into the mega Indian entertainment industry.
The third day saw Percept ICE arrange a special movie screening of ‘Being AP’. Key Speakers of the day conference saw Nick Ryle, Producer of ‘Being AP’ speak passionately about his domain and the importance of organizations like ARC.
The fourth day of the Conference culminated with a Cultural evening celebrating Fashion Designers from across India. The objective of the fashion show was to introduce and display the colourful and creative Indian fashion industry to international delegates. Titled the “Royal Ethnic Indian Wedding Collection”, the show saw Delna Poonawalla present an exclusive collection called the “Kaleidoscope Dream”. All the designers participating in the show represented the vibrancy of colour, aesthetic and textile of every state pan India. Popular models Aanchal Kumar, Parvathy Omanakuttan, Asif and Maria walked the ramp. Fashion guru Shy Kalra choreographed the Fashion Show.
The last day of the conference witnessed the Closing Ceremony kick start with a speech from Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chairman, ARF as he felicitated Dr. Poonawalla with a trophy for his outstanding contribution to the domain. Following tradition, Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla, waived off the flag and handed it over to Mr. Park Yang Tae, Mr. Heo Tae Yung Ben and Mr. Jung Tae from South Korea. The 37th edition of ARC will be held in the country of South Korea. Shankar Mahadevan thereafter took over the stage and entertained delegates with popular songs supported by a live band performance. Displaying Bollywood’s finesse at adapting dance styles from different dance forms spanning Hollywood, cabaret, hip-hop, disco, jazz and contemporary, a spectacular dance performance was choreographed by Loginus Fernandes and his dance troupe along with all other choreographies done for the entire event. The closing ceremony concluded with a phenomenal fireworks show.
Commenting on the success of the event, Nazneen Karimi Chief Executive Officer, Percept ICE said, “It was a great opportunity to win the account of the Asian Racing Conference and prsent this prestigious project in India after a span of 20 years. It took us almost a year to plan this colossal event and ensure that every element of the show was presented seamlessly and spectacularly. We are grateful for the trust imposed in us from ARC and look forward to handling many of their productions across the globe. Full credit goes to the Percept ICE team for working tirelessly 24X7 to conceptualize, set up and ensure a super successful production that wowed delegates from all over the world.”
